Hollywood's Hall of Shame: 10 Biggest Box Office Disasters

1. Heaven's Gate (1980)

First up is Heaven's Gate, which took the term 'flop' to new and dizzying heights. Directed by Michael Cimino, fresh off his Oscar-winning streak for The Deer Hunter, this Western epic aimed high but fell devastatingly short. The film was riddled with behind-the-scenes drama, budget overruns, and production delays.

It grossed a laughable $3.5 million against its $44 million budget. Critics were brutal, with The New York Times calling it an 'unqualified disaster,' and the audience response wasn't much better. This calamity of a film is largely credited with sinking United Artists, the studio that backed it, and prompting a major industry shift away from director-driven projects.

2. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

The name alone should give you a hint as to why this one makes the list. Starring Eddie Murphy as the titular Pluto Nash, a lunar nightclub owner, this film fell far from its star's former glory. Despite a budget of about $100 million, the film only managed to rake in a dismal $7.1 million worldwide.

The Rotten Tomatoes rating? An embarrassing 4%. Both audience and critical response were abysmal, and the film received no love from the Oscars or Golden Globes. Murphy himself has often expressed regret about the film, making it a textbook case of a box-office disaster.

3. Mars Needs Moms (2011)

Mars Needs Moms was the animated film that taught us even extraterrestrials can't escape the trials and tribulations of parenting. This film had a staggering production budget of $150 million but only managed to make back $39 million worldwide. The film was widely panned for its story and character design, resulting in a tepid 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The creators of this movie probably wished they could've hopped on a spaceship and escaped to Mars themselves when they saw the box office returns.

4. Gigli (2003)

A romantic comedy that was neither romantic nor comedic, Gigli starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez as a mobster and a lesbian assassin respectively, who kidnap a mentally challenged young man. If that sounds like a hard sell, it's because it was.

Gigli had a budget of $75 million and only managed to scrape together a $7.3 million gross. It received six Razzies (the anti-Oscars) and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 6%. Even the lead stars, who were dating back then and enjoyed all the perks of Hollywood's power couple, couldn't escape the cringe-factor of this monumental failure.

5. The Lone Ranger (2013)

Featuring Johnny Depp as a culturally appropriative Tonto, this film reeked of disaster from the start. The film's production was riddled with problems, including budget overruns, script rewrites, and delays. When it finally came out, it was met with a collective 'meh' from audiences and critics alike.

The movie had a budget of around $225 million, but only managed a global box office take of $260.5 million, resulting in a loss when you consider marketing costs. It sits at a meager 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the less said about Depp's interpretation of a Native American, the better.

6. John Carter (2012)

Despite its grand ambitions, this sci-fi epic based on the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs novel landed with a thud heard around Hollywood. With a staggering budget of $263 million, John Carter only managed to pull in a global box office take of $284 million, falling far short when marketing costs were factored in.

Critics were divided, and audiences were generally unimpressed, resulting in a Rotten Tomatoes score of 52%. Its lackluster performance led to a significant write-down for Disney and the resignation of the studio chairman. Ouch!

7. Catwoman (2004)

This superhero flick turned super-zero at the box office, despite featuring Halle Berry in the titular role. Catwoman had a budget of approximately $100 million but only scratched together a worldwide gross of $82 million. The film was universally panned for its poor script, direction, and CGI effects.

It has a cringe-inducing Rotten Tomatoes score of 9% and holds the dubious honor of winning four Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture. Even Berry herself jokingly thanked Warner Bros. for putting her in a 'piece-of-sh*t, god-awful movie' during her Razzie acceptance speech. Gotta admire Halle for taking it on the chin.

8. Cutthroat Island (1995)

This swashbuckling adventure proved to be anything but profitable. Directed by Renny Harlin and starring Geena Davis, Cutthroat Island was a catastrophic failure that only managed to gross $10 million against a $98 million budget. In 1996, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the biggest box-office flop of all time. The film's critical reception was tepid at best, earning a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This debacle is reported to have caused the bankruptcy of Carolco Pictures, the production company behind the film.

9. 47 Ronin (2013)

47 Ronin is a visually stunning but narratively muddled film that marked Keanu Reeves' return to big-budget fare after a hiatus from the spotlight. Despite an impressive $175 million budget, it only managed to rake in $151 million worldwide, falling short when marketing costs were considered; Reeves' star power didn't help at all, apparently.

The film was a critical and commercial failure, with a meager Rotten Tomatoes score of 16%. After all the behind-the-scenes drama, including production delays and a spiraling budget, it's safe to say this was a film that just couldn't find its way.

10. The 13th Warrior (1999)

This historical action film starring Antonio Banderas is infamous for being one of the biggest box office bombs in film history. Despite its lavish production and a budget of $160 million, it only grossed $61.7 million worldwide. Critics were not kind either, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%. Based on Michael Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead, the film suffered from multiple re-edits and reshoots, and its release was delayed by a year. Unfortunately, it seems like the 13th warrior was more unlucky than heroic.